THE WARFARE OF THE JUNGLE FOLK
A BABY WITH A MIND OF HIS OWN
This two-months-old elephant objects strenuously to confinement. His owner is attempting
to improve his disposition with sugar cane, but is careful to keep out of reach of his trunk; for,
young as the captive is, he can deal a surprisingly hard blow.
a little village. Nine elephants were wait
ing for us, and there was much bowing
of the local village chiefs. Our elephants
knelt, we climbed aboard to little cramped
seats, and were off.
Soon we plunged into the jungle. Dark
ness came on. Torches were lighted. My
elephant led. A torchbearer walked just
before. It seemed to me as if I were float
ing in a sea of blackness, while far below,
at the bottom of this dark ocean, shone a
circle of red-yellow lights.
Branches from time to time brushed
our faces; but my elephant was beauti
fully trained and made its way forward
slowly and cautiously, avoiding the over
hanging limbs at the slightest touch from
the mahout.
Suddenly more torches ahead and the
noise of voices; then the sight of some
long, vague shape, and we had stopped
before a low bamboo house.
SIGNS WHICH LEAD TRACKERS TO AN
ELEPHANT HERD
Soon an old man came to see me. He
was the famous elephant catcher, the chief
of this kraal, a rich man, for he was said
to own 24 elephants.
He sat himself cross-legged at my feet.
His face was wrinkled, the skin of his
brown, bare upper body showed the with
ering of age; yet he moved with the easy
grace of a young man and he had brought
his women along with him. Their chat
ter sounded back and forth from the little
bamboo house which he had built adjoin
ing the one which he had constructed for
us.
"We will catch the elephants for you
to see," he said, my captain interpreting
for me.
"For a week now, my men have
slowly driven a herd toward the kraal. It
is not a great herd, but my men have
counted 18 elephants. My other men are
now trying to locate a greater.
"It is not always easy to locate a big
herd, for the elephants do not always go
the same way. It depends upon the water
and feed. Slowly my men must follow.
They look at the grass. If it is withered,
they know the elephants have passed long
before; if only just trodden down, my
men know they are close on the trail.
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